Derek M.

About Derek M.

I\'m a trust & safety leader with a foundation in childhood education and over a decade of experience working on systems that protect people in high-stakes, complex environments. My work spans crisis management, content policy development, enforcement of safety guidelines, and large-scale risk mitigation in moments where clarity, care, and sound judgment matter most.At my core, I’m an educator by training and a systems builder by practice. I’m motivated by creating environments where learners and user communities can engage safely, grow confidently, and trust the systems meant to support them. I thrive in roles where I can drive impact as a hands-on leader and coach others through challenge and ambiguity, especially in gray-area spaces that demand empathy, structure, and thoughtful decision-making.As I look ahead, I’m intentionally seeking opportunities to bring my operational leadership back into education-focused spaces - whether in edtech, student safety, or learning-centered organizations where digital safety for learners is core to the mission. I\'m also open more broadly to general Trust & Safety roles in organizations where I can have a strong impact in risk reduction and safety.

Experience

1. Incident Manager, Rapid Response - Risk Containment

   TikTok

   May 2025 — Present · New York, NY, US

   Manage and contain high-risk incidents and crises related to TikTok\'s Community Guidelines that directly impact users, employees, partners, and/or the company.• Utilize tools, policies, and tactics to identify, contain, and remove risks and prevent them from spreading.• Process escalations from partners including Public and Government Relations and company leadership.

Education

• Western New England University

  Master of Education (M.Ed.), Curriculum and Instruction

  2012 — 2013

• The College of Saint Rose

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Childhood Education

  2008 — 2012